I live in an old quirky listed building. I swear the house fights back whenever I do anything! I have a Rayburn in the kitchen for background heat. The flue is about 12m long and takes a convoluted journey up through the house coming out in the corner of a turret which means it can’t have a pot so has a slab atop with a gap below for venting. All was well until I fitted a flue liner (which involved 18 holes in the walls to work out where the flue went). The lack of pot means rain gets in and this has washed soot down onto a sticky blockage. There is a tight bend half way up and this seems to be where everything collects.

Last winter I got the sweep out and he said I’d ruined his brushes, charged me £80 and said it would need relining. I left tea lights in the flue for a few nights then had a go myself and managed to unblock it. However its blocked again over the summer. I currently have a hairdryer blasting hot air up to try to chip away at the blockage but can’t help thinking this will be an ongoing problem.

My ideal solution would be to fit an Everhot with no need for a flue but I don’t have any funds. The house is freezing! I can see 2 options – keep chipping away or remove the liner, but I worry about seepage upstairs. Could invest I more alarms I suppose! All tips advice gratefully received. I will of course get a sweep if I ever unblock it but don’t want to be yelled at again or pay hours for him to give up anyway!

Many thanks.